Dancing Queen
by reviewgirl911
Summary: Jackie has a secret passion: dancing. Unfortunately, she also has a few other issues. What happens when Hyde and the gang discover her secrets? Set in early S5. Warning for drugs and an eating disorder.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so I know what you're probably thinking right now. This chick has two T70S fics, not to mention a Gossip Girl-T70S crossover fic, in progress. Why in the world would she start a new one. Well, here's my answer. I'm just hopelessly addicted to writing Jackie/Hyde fan fics. It's a problem I have, and I just can't stop. But, I do promise all of my readers this. I will never abandon a story. Everything I write, I finish. So, while I may take a while to update, do not consider that story is done. My stories aren't done until I changed the status to complete. Now that I've cleared that up, here's a little background on this story. It's set in season five, and Jackie and Hyde have started dating. I'm not sure where Jackie's dad will fall into this, but I'll tell you when I decide. It's set before he goes to prison for now. Disclaimer: I don't own That 70s Show or any of its characters. The ones I create are all mine! **

Jackie Burkhart looked at herself in the mirror and started counting beats in her head. As she counted, she did perfect pirouettes. The tiny brunette was very close to being able to spin three times before stopping. Of course, the hard toe ballet shoes were rough on her feet, but that didn't stop Jackie. The girl was driven, and she couldn't remember a time when ballet wasn't a integral part of her life.

Jackie started dancing when she was three years old. Her aunt Shauna opened her ballet studio that year, and Mrs. Burkhart immediately signed her daughter up, hoping that she would learn grace. Jackie took to it instantly, and it was soon evident she had talent. Shauna advanced her to a higher level. As with everything, Pam lost interest quickly. Jackie still kept dancing, unable to give up the addicting hobby. The studio became her home, a place she could sneak away to when her mom was drunk and her dad away. Jackie never felt more at peace then when she was practicing her spins and leaps in front of the mirror.

If the studio became her home, the dancers there became her family. Her first friend there was Quill. Quill's parents were hardcore hippies who disapproved of their daughter's dancing because it was conforming to "the Man". Quill reminded Jackie of a Brazilian supermodel with her caramel skin, hollowed-out cheekbones, and long wavy black hair. Like many of the dancers, Quill lived at the Vortex. The Vortex was a well-kept secret in Point Place. It was a huge house that was open to artists, travelers, and basically anyone who needed a place to stay. Jackie herself lived there whenever her parents weren't home. You only had to pay a small rent to live at the Vortex. They were famous for their blow-out parties. Then there was Tanya, Lizzie, Mikey, and Tony. Tanya reminded Jackie of Donna with her flaming red hair and tough exterior. The girl was like a protective older sister. She stuck up for all the dancers when she thought they were being overworked. Lizzie was one of the quietest people Jackie knew, but somehow the girls just connected. Jackie didn't feel the need to talk around the pixie-like girl. Mikey was Jackie's best guy friend, probably due to the fact he was gay. He was always there to wipe away her tears and tell her how gorgeous she was. Tony was also gay but still in the closet. With his classic good looks and jock-like vibe, few people thought he was a ballet dancer. Jackie loved them all to pieces, but her relationships with them were complicated. Dancing was an intense art. You had to get along with the dancers in your troupe, but at the same time, you were competing against them. The worlds of dance and cheerleading were very similar, which Jackie suspected was the reason she was so successful in both.

"Lia!" Jackie turned around to see her aunt looking at her with a soft smile. "It's time to go." Jackie nodded and started to gather her stuff. "Your turns are looking really good. Mr. Whitefield will be impressed," her aunt complimented.

"Thanks, Aunt Shauna," Jackie replied happily. Praise from her aunt was rare, and she would take it whenever she got it. Jackie went and changed into her blouse and jeans, slipping boots onto her feet. She grabbed her bag and walked out of the studio. Her aunt followed close behind her, locking the door as she left.

The aunt and niece drove to the Formans in silence. Shauna was not one to prod into her niece's life. Jackie would tell her about her life when she wanted to. Of course, she knew how that Kelso boy had run off to California, breaking Jackie's heart and shattering another piece of the little innocence she had left. Shauna knew her niece's life was hard despite appearances. She knew this because she knew Pam all too well. Shauna knew neither parent was ever home and that Jackie spent too much time alone in that. That's why she gave the tiny brunette a job teaching ballet to the younger students. The money covered Jackie's rent at the Vortex. Shauna also knew Jackie had fallen in love again, with the burnout named Steven Hyde. They finally arrived, and Jackie got out of the car. "Good night," Shauna told her niece. Jackie nodded and waved goodbye.

Meanwhile, the gang sat in an awkward silence and watched Gilligan's Island. The reason for the silence was due to the missing sixth member. Finally, Eric spoke up. "There is a major disturbance in the force. Where's the devil?" Hyde frogged him for the Star Wars reference. "Ow, Hyde!"

"She said she had a cheerleading thing," Hyde responded, not taking his eyes off the tv. Thankfully, the dark shades over his eyes disguised that fact that he was really staring at the door. Hyde wouldn't feel any peace until he saw his loud, annoying girlfriend walk into the basement. The Zen master would never admit it, but he needed his daily dose of Jackie.

Kelso frowned. "Hyde, man, there's no practice today. It's Tuesday. The cheerleaders practice Monday, Wednesday, and Friday." After seeing the looks everyone was giving him, he tried to defend himself. "Hey, I have to know these things! I need to schedule certain girls on certain days!" Donna shook her head in disgust.

"Pig," she muttered under her breath. Luckily, the appearance of the gang's favorite loud midget saved Kelso from getting a beating from Donna. "Jackie!" the lumberjack shouted in relief. It was hard being the only girl in the basement.

Jackie smiled at her red-headed friend. "Hey, Donna," she responded, taking off her coat and heading towards Hyde. She took her rightful place in his lap and kissed him. "Hey, Puddin' Pop. Miss me?" Jackie whispered softly. Hyde's reply was to kiss her harder. The two were on their way to a steamy make-out session when Donna interrupted them.

"So where were you?" Donna asked casually, not wanting to watch Hyde and Jackie grope each other. She had come to accept the "creepy and unnatural" relationship, but that didn't mean she wanted to watch them maul each other.

Jackie looked up at her friend. "Cheerleading meeting," she replied vaguely. None of the gang knew about her dancing, and she wasn't about to tell them. Jackie needed people outside of that world. Telling them would just make them look at her differently.

Eric eyed her suspiciously. Jackie was usually perkier after those meetings. "What was the meeting about?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

"A fundraiser for new uniforms," Jackie answered as quickly as Eric asked. She was the master of excuses, whether it was why her mom couldn't come to parent-teacher night or why she was limping.

"Ooh, are you going to do a bikini car wash?" Fex asked excitedly, the image already forming in his head. Before you could blink, Hyde frogged him. "Ow, Hyde!"

Jackie smiled at her boyfriend's defensiveness towards her. "No, we're probably going to do another bake sale, though that's the last thing the school needs," she lied. Her friends seemed to accept her answers, and they all went back to watching Gilligan's Island. Fez and Kelso argued about which one of them Ginger would most likely sleep with, Donna listened to Eric blab on about the parallels between this show and Star Wars, and Jackie rested her head on Hyde's shoulder and closed her eyes. She felt what she had taken earlier wearing off. Hyde gently rubbed his tired girlfriend's back.

Hyde was starting to notice how tired Jackie always seemed to be lately. Her gorgeous eyes had light circles around them that she attempted to cover up with makeup, and her body seemed more frail each time he held her in his arms. Hyde was worried about his girlfriend but wasn't sure how to approach her. He decided to ask Mrs. Forman what to do.

After an hour or so of resting on Hyde's lap, Jackie asked, "What time is it?"

"Around nine," he answered casually. Jackie jumped off his lap and grabbed her stuff.

"I've got to go. Daddy's coming home tonight," she lied yet again. Jackie had no clue where her dad was. His absences were getting longer and more frequent. She suspected he was in trouble.

"Want me to drive you home?" Hyde offered calmly. Something was up with Jackie, and he wanted to talk to her alone. A drive would be the perfect way to do that.

"No thanks. It's too nice out to drive," Jackie responded cheerfully, putting her coat on and grabbing her bag. "Bye, Steven," she said mushily, giving him a long, steamy kiss before walking away.

"Bye, Doll," Hyde replied, a love struck look on his face. Jackie said a quick bye to the gang and walked out of the basement. Everyone had gotten the same vibe. Something was up with Jackie.

Meanwhile, Jackie walked into a dimly light alley, rubbing her hands together for warmth. She looked around until spotting a skinny, greasy-haired guy in a worn-out hoodie. "Todd," she greeted coolly.

"Ah, Lia," Todd replied with a smile. "Had a feeling I'd been seeing you tonight." This tiny cheerleader was one of his best clients.

"Do you have them?" she asked impatiently. Jackie hated this alley, and she hated having to deal with Todd, but a girl did what she had to do.

"Hold your horses. I was getting to that," the guy responded, pulling a paper bag out of his hoodie and shifting through its contents. Finally, he pulled out a bag and handed it to Jackie. She handed him a wad of cash. "Pleasure doing business with you," he said with a sleazy grin. Jackie flipped him off and walked away with her bag of speed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the reviews! They were really encouraging. I know there were a lot of new characters, but I always feel like you need some characters outside the ones on the actual show to balance it all out. The plot's complicated, but that's what makes it good. I hope you enjoy the chapter! Disclaimer: I don't' own That '70s Show or any of its characters. I wish I did. I could write an entire book on each.**

Jackie heard everyone in the Vortex get up. She had never gone to sleep. The tiny brunette had completed all her homework and cleaned her room after popping a pill. Jackie didn't like taking speed, but she felt like she had no choice. Her life was tiring. Between dancing, cheerleading, her friends, Hyde, and school, Jackie was exhausted, and she had a feeling it showed. She suspected her boyfriend was worried, but she knew she couldn't tell him what was going on. Hyde wouldn't understand. He would just think she was working herself too hard. That was everyone thought. Tanya had repeatedly tried to get Jackie to quit taking the speed, but she refused. The loud midget needed those pills. Without them, she'd slow down and have to face everything. She'd have to face herself. A lot of the dancers liked to joke that Jackie would die doing pirouettes. This didn't make any of her friends happy.

Quill entered the room they shared. "Whoa, when did it get so clean in here?" she asked, amazed by the fact they could now see the floor.

"I cleaned it last night," Jackie replied casually while brushing her hair.

Quill didn't say anything. She knew Jackie, or Lia as they called her, liked order, and she knew why. The tiny brunette didn't have parents who loved her or that were even around all the time. She never knew when she was going to see them or when they were going to leave. Jackie liked to live her life in control. She alphabetized her books, organized her clothes by color, style, and season, and pushed people to do things her way. Jackie's bossiness was merely the girl's need for control, which was why her friends were able to tolerate it. Quill knew what it was like to not be in control.

"Going to the party tonight?" Quill asked casually, grabbing a bobby pin from Jackie's dresser. The two girls shared everything. In fact, Jackie was currently wearing Quill's favorite pair of jeans.

"I don't know…" Jackie said tentatively. She wanted to spend some time with Quill, Tanya, Lizzie, Mikey, and Tony because she felt like they hadn't talked outside class for a while, but at the same time she wanted to spend time with Hyde.

"Come on!" Quill begged, her lips forming a pout. "That really good band is playing, and Richard said that if we come, he'll consider our pajama theme idea." Jackie sighed. It was hard to argue with Quill. Plus, she really wanted that pajama party.

"Fine," she agreed. Quill started bouncing up and down. "But I'm not being your wing woman." Before her friend could argue, Jackie added, "I have a boyfriend. Get Lizzie to do it."

"But Lizzie doesn't talk," Quill whined. She knew that statement wasn't true. The pixie-like girl talked to them, but not many others. And forget about strange guys she just met.

"Then you'll look even more appealing," Jackie replied causally. She slipped on a pair of boots. "How do I look?" she asked nervously.

Quill eyed her friend. Whenever Jackie had a boyfriend, she put just a little more effort into her appearance. In a multi-colored stripe sweater, tan leather jacket, Quill's dark-wash skinny jeans, brown suede points, and handmade drop earrings with her hair down and curly and makeup subtle, the tiny brunette could make any guy stop and stare. "Amazing. Me?"

Jackie inspected her friend's outfit. Quill looked the part of the rebel hippy she was in a blue peasant top, short leather skirt, sparkly blue sneakers, and her silver peace sign necklace. Somehow, the Brazilian beauty made the look work. "Perfect," Jackie replied cheerfully. The dancers made their way done to the kitchen to find Mikey cooking eggs and bacon on the stove. The smell was intoxicating to Jackie, but her mind told her she'd look fat in her leotard if she had any.

'Hey, girls!" Mikey greeted happily. That was one of the reasons Jackie like him. He was always happy. Mikey didn't believe in being sad. "Life's too short," he'd tell anyone when they were upset. He saw Jackie's outfit and whistled. "Damn, Lia! Do you want that boyfriend of yours to jump you the minute you walk into the building? Because I would, and I'm gay!" Jackie blushed while Quill laughed.

"What's this we here about jumping?" a voice from behind them asked. The three turned around to see Tanya walking towards them. The redhead looked smoking in a white v-neck with flare jeans and black boots. Her style was very basic and functional but still sexy. "Because I don't want people to forgot I'm a girl," she'd always joke when asked about her clothes. "Whoever's thinking about sex, don't forget about protection!"

Jackie blushed even harder. "Enough," she stated firmly. "Where's Lizzie?" the loud midget asked, noticing the absent of their shy friend.

"She's tutoring some kid before school," Tanya replied, grabbing a plate and grabbing some breakfast. Quill and Mikey followed suit, piling food onto their plates. Jackie just watched. Tanya noticed her friend's hesitation. "Come on, Lia. A little breakfast won't hurt you, will it?" she coax gently. She knew Jackie had a problem eating, but there wasn't much she could do for her.

Jackie saw the desperation in her friend's eyes and sighed. "I'll eat a banana," she said grudgingly. Mikey handed her a banana, and Jackie took a few bites. She then threw away the banana. "All done," she said perkily. Her friends didn't say anything. Jackie got herself a glass of water and took a pill, making sure no one saw her do it. Finally, once everyone finished breakfast, they left to go to school. They didn't all go to the same school. Tanya actually went to the same Catholic school that Donna was now at, Quill was at some alternative hippy school, Mikey took design classes at the local community college, and Tony attended an all boys school in Kenosha. He was currently visiting a sick relative in Vermont, explaining his absence from the Vortex. Lizzie was the only one who actually went to Point Place High School with Jackie. The two friends didn't really talk much during school. It wasn't something intentional, just a random coincidence on their part.

Jackie was always the first person they dropped off since she always went to the Formans before school. When they pulled up to the familiar house, Jackie got out. "Bye, guys! See ya later!" she shouted, rushing out of the car. Quill tossed Jackie's house keys to her, and Jackie caught them in the air. They drove off.

Of course, Hyde had been watching his girlfriend arrive from the hood of his El Camino. He hadn't recognized the people in the car, but he figured they were just some of Jackie's cheerleading minions. Of course, Hyde didn't know they had any guys on the squad. Jackie walked up to him and hopped into the hood of his car. She kissed him. "Morning, Puddin' Pop," she greeted cheerfully. Hyde had to admire the amount of energy she had for so early in the morning.

"Hey, Doll," he replied causally, looking around for Eric, Fez, and Kelso. Hyde had promised to wait for them, but the thought of getting to school early and having some extra time to make out with Jackie was tempting.

"Ready to go?" she asked gently. Jackie had some things to do at school, so she wanted to get there. Plus, she wouldn't mind a little extra alone tine with her boyfriend.

Hyde thought about it for a moment before responding, "Yeah." It wasn't his fault Forman, Kelso, and Fez were late. The couple drove to school in silence. Jackie was lost in her thoughts, envisioning her dance routine in her head. She could picture each move perfectly. When they arrived, Hyde leaned over and kissed her. That snapped Jackie out of her daze. They made out until Kelso spotted them and started spazzing out. Jackie smiled as Hyde flipped his best friend off. Maybe she would be able to keep herself together. With her boyfriend by her side, Jackie felt invincible. Still, there was a pit in her stomach when the tiny brunette thought of Hyde discovering her secret. What would he think, she wondered to herself. Probably nothing good, an annoying voice told her. Jackie tried to shrug it off. She needed to stay focused. If she didn't, she'd lose it all.


	3. Chapter 3

**So, just want to start off saying thanks for the reviews! I got some constructive criticism that really helped me and will hopefully make this chapter better. Thank you to Darkestpowerslover234 for pointing out I really needed to say something other than "the tiny brunette". I'll try to avoid doing that. This chapter is going to include a party at the Vortex! Woo-hoo! The real shocker is who shows up… Anyways, enjoy the chapter! Disclaimer: I don't That '70s Show or any of its bad-ass characters that totally deserve better then Season 8. *makes vomiting gesture***

Jackie walked down the halls, her mind in another place. Thoughts of recitals and costumes were swirling around in the cheerleader's head. You could say Jackie was obsessed with dance, and most of her fellow dancers would agree. They didn't really understand why Jackie was so focused and just pinned it down to ambition. Her friends knew better. Of course, Quill, Tanya, Tony, Mikey, and Lizzie knew the loud midget was ambitious, but they understood that it wasn't the reason she was such an intense dancer. Of course, they all argued over the reasons she took the pills or skipped her meals, but the five friends knew why Jackie danced. She wanted control. Control over her life. Because to Jackie, control equaled stability. The dark-haired girl had never had stability in her life with an alcoholic whore of a mother and a crook for a father. Jackie had hated living in her big house alone, and after a year, she decided to move into the Vortex. It became one of the only stable things in her life. Ironic since it was known for its spontaneity.

"Jackie!" a perky voice shouted across the hall. Jackie inwardly groaned and turned around to see Lisa Lawrence running to catch up with her. The short brunette couldn't help but roll her eyes. Lisa Lawrence was your average blonde-haired, blue-eyed slut, only with the brain of a diabolical mastermind. Jackie had to admit this girl gave her a run for her money in the scheming department, and that was saying something. Of course, Lisa's blackmail material had been discovered by sheer luck. "God, slow down," the cheerleading captain whined.

"Is there something you want?" Jackie asked causally. She didn't like talking to any of the cheerleaders and tried to keep her conversations to them short and insignificant.

"Yeah, actually. We need to up our difficulty level for Regionals, so you're now doing that layout we've talked about," Lisa replied, a business-like look on her face. The blonde was stupid, but she wasn't that stupid. Jackie could take her spot as cheerleading captain if she really wanted to. Luckily, the loud midget was more interested in dance recitals than football players. In fact, she wouldn't even be on the cheerleading squad at all if Lisa hadn't blackmailed her into it. Somehow, the cheerleading captain had ended up at a Vortex party and seen Jackie dancing. After digging for some dirt, she discovered that the tiny brunette lived there. Lisa had confronted her and used that little piece of information to blackmail Jackie onto the squad. The girl was a good dancer and could do tricks that gave a major boost to the squad's difficulty level.

Jackie hesitated a moment before answering. "That layout is dangerous, Lisa. I could break my ankle. Plus, isn't it banned?" She didn't want to risk breaking her ankle. Like pregnancy, breaking an ankle was career suicide for a dancer. If Jackie broke her ankle, she wouldn't get the lead in the spring production, which meant companies wouldn't be looking to hire her. Plus, she wouldn't be able to teach class and pay her rent at the Vortex, which meant she'd have to go back to living in that big empty house.

"We'd only use it in the final round. Regulation rules don't apply in the final round," the head bitchleader answered smugly. "And have you forgotten our little agreement? Or do I need to remind you?" she taunted with an evil smile.

"Fine, I'll do," Jackie agreed. She didn't want to take her chances with Lisa, because she really believed the bitch would have no problem spreading her secret. And once one secret was out, they'd all start coming out.

The rest of the day went by fast. Kelso, Fez, Eric, Hyde, and Donna all stayed behind in the gym waiting for Jackie. She had told them she only needed to practice a new routine for ten or twenty minutes and then she could leave. Kelso and Fez eagerly stayed so they could scope out cheerleaders. Eric and Donna took the opportunity to make out behind the bleachers, while Hyde just sat and watched his girlfriend.

Lisa turned to her squad. "Okay, girls, we're going to work on the stunts first. Jackie, go when you're ready," she announced, looking over at her least favorite teammate. Jackie simply flipped her hair and took her place. The whole gang stopped and watched their favorite midget. The music started and Jackie did a triple cartwheel, ending by doing a twist up in the air and landing back down, then propelling herself up again for another one. Everyone in the gym watched in awe as Jackie flipped and twirled all over the floor. When the music was done, she stopped and turned to Lisa. "How was that?" she asked with a smug look.

"Good," the blonde managed to get out. "You can leave." Jackie gave the girl one of her patented smiles and walked towards her friends.

The gang looked at her in amazement. They had all known Jackie was a cheerleader and a good one at that, but they never knew Jackie could do any of that. "That was awesome, Jackie!" Donna shouted in shock. Cheerleading had actually looked fun in those few minutes her friend was throwing tricks. What really caught the red-head's eye was the smile on Jackie's face. She had never seen anything like it on the girl's face.

"Well, what did you think we did? Just wave our pom-poms in the air?" Jackie teased. Seeing the lumberjack's sheepish grin, she assumed yes. "Gosh, you guys think so little of me!" Jackie said in a huff.

"That was hot, Jackie," Kelso said approvingly. Hyde frogged him. "Damn it, Hyde! That hurt!"

"You were amazing, my goddess. In my country, they would've made you queen for being able to do that." Fez thought for a moment. "Or behead you as a witch." Jackie gave him a weird look before turning to her boyfriend.

"You were good," Hyde admitted grudgingly. "Aren't those moves kind of dangerous though?" he asked worriedly. The last thing he wanted was Jackie getting hurt. Hyde hated the idea of his girl in pain.

"No," Jackie lied, guilt in her eyes. Her boyfriend picked up on this but didn't try to argue with her. The gang headed out to the Vista Cruiser, listening to Fez and Kelso rate the racks of each cheerleader on a scale from one to ten. This made Donna call them both dillholes and go off on one of her feminist rants. Personally, Jackie didn't care much for feminism, or at least the kind Donna preached. If she stopped acting like a man, didn't that only prove that being a woman was degrading? The loud midget preferred the type of feminism Quill believed in. The hippy chick thought that women should be able to act like women but have the same rights as men, such as equal pay and education. That actually made sense to Jackie. Feminism shouldn't argue that women shouldn't need men; it should argue that women don't necessarily need men.

Hyde noticed that Jackie was deep in thought. He realized how quiet she was being. It didn't feel right. "Everything alright, Doll?" he whispered into her ears as she closed her eyes.

"Never better," Jackie replied softly, giving her a boyfriend a soft kiss. Hyde held the tiny girl in his arms, feeling like he was holding a sack of bones. He knew he had to talk to Mrs. Forman, and soon. Jackie was wasting away, and it was scaring him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, so I know I said the last chapter would have a Vortex party in it, but I just didn't have enough time to write that long of a chapter. I promise this chapter will include a Vortex party, though. BTW, I said Tanya goes to the same Catholic school as Donna and yet I described the outfit she was wearing. I forgot to mention it was a free dress day. Catholic schools do have them. Trust me, I know since I go to Catholic school. Thanks for all the reviews! Always appreciated. Disclaimer: I don't own That '70s Show.**

Jackie stared at herself in the mirror. Any girl would say that Jackie was the picture of perfection, but she just didn't agree with any of them. The tiny brunette only saw her flaws when looking in the mirror. She saw the flab on her arms that never seemed to go away and the fat on her thighs that seemed to grow every time she saw it. In reality, Jackie was as skinny as a twig. A supermodel would see Jackie's body and be insecure. Of course, you could never convince her of that.

"Lia! Get your but out here! The party's going to start soon, and I want to grab beers before they run out!" Quill's voice traveled through the door. Jackie looked away from the mirror and started to put together an outfit. She wanted to be comfortable enough to dance but still look cute and sexy. The loud midget settled on an off-the-shoulder shirt with the word love spray-painted on it, tight black pants she knew she could dance in, and red Converse. Most people would be shocked to learn that Jackie had a pair of Converse in every color, but it was true. They were great shoes for parties like this one.

Jackie stepped out of the room she and Quill shared to see her friend waiting impatiently. Quill whistled once seeing Jackie. "Damn, Lia, and they saw you've lost your touch." Jackie bowed and looked over her friend's ensemble. She was wearing a tight, tie-dye t-shirt with a pair of leather shorts with red tights under them and Jackie's fringed black boots. She had some layered necklaces on, and her hair was loose and fabulous.

"You're not looking bad yourself," Jackie replied with a smile. She didn't know how Quill managed to come out with her outfits, but the Brazilian beauty always looked amazing.

"Thank you," Quill thanked with a blush. "Let's go see if Lizzie and Tanya are ready." The two friends walked towards the other girls' room. The rooming arrangement weren't set in stone, and Jackie had also roomed with Tanya and Lizzie at one point. However, she lived with Quill the longest.

They walked into Tanya and Lizzie's room to find it a complete disaster. Clothes were thrown everywhere to the point where you could barely see the floor. "Tanya, Lizzie, don't you guys ever clean?" Quill mock-lectured as she stepped through the mess to sit next to Lizzie on the bed. Jackie looked over at her pixie-like friend. She was wearing a fitted flower-printed sundress with a red silk headband in her hair and red flats on her feet. Her short, blonde hair was curled at the rips, and her makeup was subtle except for the cherry red lips. "You look nice, Lizzie," the cheerleader complimented as she sat down next to her quiet friend.

"Thanks," Lizzie replied, her cheeks turning pick. She was always embarrassed to receive compliments.

"Hey, where's Tanya?" Quill asked suspiciously, noticing the absence of their red-headed friend who had created the mess in the bedroom.

"Bathroom," Lizzie responded, her eyes glued to her newly painted fingernails. Of course, they were red to match her outfit. The shade of red was a little much for her, but Jackie promised it looked great. The fact it did match her outfit did help. Lizzie had a secret only her close friends were aware of: a mild case of obsessive compulsive disorder.

The red-head came back into her room with two outfit options in her hand. "Guys, which one should I wear?" she asked her friends, not even bothering to ask how long they'd been there. Privacy didn't exist in the Vortex, and none of them could be more thankful for that. Privacy would've allowed Mikey to stay in the closet and Lizzie's OCD remain untreated.

Jackie inspected the outfits. The first one was a white tank top with a denim vest over it with black pants and accessorized with a pendant necklace and white converse. The second one was a black tank top with tight leather print pants and sleek black boots accessorized with bronze hoop earrings. "Second one," she replied without hesitation. Both girls couldn't wear black pants, and Jackie wasn't about to change.

"And you guys?" Tanya asked, turning to her other friends.

"Second option," they both agreed. The redhead changed and put on her makeup. The four girls headed downstairs where they saw Tony and Mikey chatting. Mikey was wearing a white button down with a black skinny jeans and multi-colored high tops. Tony was wearing a football jersey and loose jeans.

"Damn, if I were straight, I'd have a tough time deciding which one of you I would flirt with first," Mikey complimented at first sight of the girls. They all smiled at Mikey's statement. All four of them loved his straightforwardness.

Tony just mumbled a "You guys like nice", which was high praise from Tony. The six friends headed down in the middle of the party and grabbed pairs. Jackie smiled to herself. It was going to be a good night. She had taken a pill before putting her makeup on, and she was ready to have fun.

Meanwhile, the gang sat in the basement watching Gilligan's Island, bored at of their minds. It was dead silence without the presence of their loud cheerleader friend. None of them would admit it, but they missed Jackie's chatter. Finally, Eric got fed up. "Guys, we should do something," he stated forcefully. For some reason, this turned Donna on.

"Like what?" Hyde shot back angrily. He wasn't really angry at Foreman though. Eric was right; they needed to get out of the basement. Hyde was just in a bad mood since Jackie said she was hanging out with some cheerleaders tonight and that she wouldn't be in the basement. For some reason, he felt like his girlfriend was avoiding him. This made Hyde worried and a little angry, hence the snapping at Eric.

Eric shrugged lamely. Luckily, Kelso came barging in with his signature goofy grin on his face. "Guys, I have some great news!" he shouted excitedly. The gang looked at him expectantly. Kelso's news always had to do with either who he slept with or something plain stupid. Thankfully, it wasn't either of those this time. "There's a huge keg party over at some house not to far from here!" Everyone sat up a little straighter in their seats. Kelso's announcement had actually grabbed their attention.

"Who told you this?" Eric asked suspiciously. He didn't want to go all the way to some party only to find out there wasn't one. It had happened to them before.

"Guaranteed. I was making at with Lisa Lawrence, and she told me about it," Kelso responded. The gang knew that if Lisa Lawrence was going, it had to be good. The girl liked to party.

"Let's go then," Donna said, getting up from her seat. Eric followed behind her. Fez and Kelso practically flew out of the room. Hyde took his time, but only to drive his two friends crazy.

The gang drove up to a huge, old looking house. It was the kind of house that seemed hard to miss, and yet none of them had ever seen it before. Hyde thought that was weird, but he pushed the thought out of his head. He looked around and saw tons of people coming in and out of the house, Hyde usually hated these kinds of parties, but at least there was free beer. The friends walked into the party as it was in full swing.

Jackie sat down on the couch with her friends, trying to catch her breath. They had been dancing up a storm. The band had just kept playing great songs, so it was impossible not to dance. She took a sip out of her beer. It wasn't quenching her thirst, but it made her not notice it. Jackie was on her third beer. Quill and Tanya were both way past that, their words starting to slur. The loud midget made a mental note not to let them have anymore. Lizzie was sticking to soda as usual, but she was still managing to have a good time. They had lost track of the guys, but as per tradition, they would meet up when the dance circle formed. Since there were so many dancers living in the house, they always had one. Anyone could showcase their skills.

Jackie didn't notice her friends walk in since the dance circle was starting to form. Tanya and Quill pulled Jackie and Lizzie towards the circle, stating that they needed to get good spots. They found the guys and proceeded to watch the show, dancing as they watched. Meanwhile, the gang went on the hunt for beer and took in the atmosphere. Little did they know of the surprise that awaited them…


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey! Just want to say thanks for the reviews! I know I ended the last chapter on a cliff-hanger, but I guarantee this one will be drama-filled, mainly about Jackie's run-in with the gang.. Read to find out what happens! Disclaimer: I don't own That '70s Show cuz if I did, I wouldn't have to write a freakin' research paper for my English class! *crosses arms and frowns* Sorry, just needed to vent. Anyways.. Enjoy the chapter! *turns frown upside down***

Hyde looked around the house, trying to spot the keg. Or at least that was his excuse. Honestly, this house fantasized him. No one here seemed to own it, and there were all kinds of people there. He recognized a few select cheerleaders and burnouts while the rest of the crowd was composed of complete strangers. Hyde was smart enough to know this wasn't a high school party. No high school party would have as many kegs as this one did.

"Hyde!" a voice shouted from behind. He turned around to see Kelso waving his hands like the idiot he was. "We found beer!" the dofus shouted happily. Hyde followed his friend over to the keg. He got a cup of beer and gulped it down. It tasted good, but not as good as Jackie, Hyde realized sadly. Damn, the loud ABBA-loving cheerleader had even managed to diminish the taste of beer for him.

The gang hung around the same general areas. Kelso tried hitting on basically anything with boobs. His flirting got mixed reactions. Either the girl made out with him or shot him a dirty look like they knew how treated girls. Of course, Hyde overheard two girls gossiping about the pretty boy. "You know Lia, right?" one girl had asked in a hushed voice.

"Of course," the other girl had answered with a nod of her head.

"Well, she dated that dofus. He hurt her really bad," the first girl whispered back. The other girl nodded her head in understanding.

"I heard she's going to get the lead in the Nutcracker. It will probably help her get into Julliard," the same girl said. Her friend just shrugged.

Hyde locked away that little tid-bit into the back of his head. Now he just needed to figure out when Kelso had dated a dancer. Meanwhile, Eric and Donna were dancing while Fez sat on the couch and watched. When the red-head spotted the dance circle, she dragged her boyfriend over to watch. Their three friends followed them. Hyde just wanted to see people make fools out of themselves.

The first person in the circle was an African-American guy in a Rolling Stones t-shirt and baggy jeans. He did a series of impressive street dancing moves. Several people started chanting, "Go Richard!" He finished with a back flip and excited the circle.

The gang watched the next person enter the circle. It was a girl that resembled a Brazilian supermodel with long wavy black hairs and dark eyes. She was wearing a tight tie-dye shirt with leather shorts and tights underneath. Kelso shouted, "Damn, she's hot!" Fez nodded his head in agreement.

"And smashed," Donna added with a roll of her eyes. It was obvious the girl had had too many drinks. Still, her dancing was really good.

Kelso considered this for a second. "True," he admitted with a shrug. "But I like them easy," the idiot added with a grin. Donna smacked him hard. "Ow, Donna!"

Hyde just watched as the girl finished dancing. The beauty laughed before shouting, "Lia, you're next!" He looked over to see the girl's face, but there were too many people blocking his view.

"Quill, you're drunk," Lia deadpanned. Hyde blinked. He could've sworn that was Jackie's voice.

Quill, however, ignored her friend's comment, starting to chant, "Lia!" Most of the people at the party seemed familiar with the girl, and they all started to chant.

Finally, the girl gave up. "Fine," Lia replied. The band immediately started to play an intense pop-rock tune that none of the gang though anyone could ever dance to. Suddenly a girl appeared in the circle. The gang's jaws all dropped when they saw Jackie start to dance.

"What the hell!" Donna shouted, shock on her face. She had no clue what was going on.

"That's hot," Kelso said approvingly, resulting in Hyde frogging. "Damn, Hyde!

The whole gang just watched Jackie shine on the dance floor. Hyde's eyes were glued to her as she swayed her hips back and forth. She waved over to a guy in a football jersey. He came out and held out his entwined fingers. Jackie put her foot up on them and did a back flip. Hyde looked over at their friends. They were as dumbstruck as he was. Since when could Jackie dance like that? Regardless, she was a crowd favorite, everyone chanting the name Lia. That was another question on Hyde's list. Why were they calling her Lia? And how did Jackie know these people? And why did she lie about hanging out with cheerleaders? He pondered all these questions as he watched his girlfriend spin in her toe three times without stopping. She finished to a rousing applause.

Jackie was panting by the time she stopped dancing. It always felt good to dance in the circle. She could just let go and not worry about how perfect her moves were. Of course, Jackie had been so preoccupied dancing that she hadn't even noticed the gang on the other side of the room. Quill, Lizzie, and Tanya gave her a tight hug once she exited the circle. Mikey simply clapped and stated, "Absolutely fabulous, darling!" This made the tiny brunette laugh. Tony gave her a smile that she knew meant good job. The guy was a man of few words, but the words he did say mattered.

Everyone watched as Richard walked over to the stage. None of the people who stayed in the Vortex were sure why they considered him the leader. Richard just was. Maybe it was because he was good at handling the situations that came up, or maybe it was because there was just something grown-up about him. Either way, everyone knew that all Vortex decisions went through Richard. He cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. It didn't work. Quill and Jackie looked at each other and nodded. "People, shut up!" they shouted, shutting everybody up.

Richard smiled at the two. "Thanks guys," he replied. The friends simply shrugged. "Anyways, just wanted to say that no one's allowed to go upstairs unless you live here. Continue partying." Richard stepped up off the stage.

The gang made their way over to Jackie. Tanya, a little more sober now, spotted them first, having recognized them from around town and Jackie's pictures. "Um, Lia, it looks like your secrets out," she said to her friend, tapping the loud midget's shoulder in an attempt to get her friend's attention. Jackie gave her friend a confused look before turning around and seeing the gang standing in front of her.

"Oh my God," she said, a shocked look on her face. A million thoughts were racing through her head. What were they doing here? How did they know about the Vortex? "What are you guys doing here?" Jackie asked feebly. She got glared in return.

"Funny, we should would be asking you the same thing," her boyfriend stated, anger evident on his face. If his sunglasses were off, Jackie would bet his eyes were filled with rage.

Donna cut in. "What the hell is going on Jackie?" she shouted. "Is this what cheerleaders do for fun now?" the lumberjack asked sarcastically.

"Um, yes?" Jackie tried with a small smile. After seeing the look Donna was giving her, she changed her answer. "Look, I'm just here with some friends," she answered honestly.

The gang eyed the group standing behind the cheerleader they thought they knew. Donna recognized Tanya from her new school. The girl was open-minded and very opinionated from what she had seen. She also knew that the other red-head was a ballet dancer. Meanwhile, Hyde recognized Lizzie from school. She was a shy girl and a good student who sat with the over-achievers. Kelso and Fez were too busy checking out Quill to be doing much thinking. Eric swore he recognized the two guys from somewhere.

"And how do you know them?" Eric pressed on curiously. This was a new, interesting side to Jackie. The scrawny geek had remembered where he recognized the two guys from. The one in the football jersey went to that all boys school, and the other one helped out at the hospital sometimes. Eric vaguely remembered seeing him one time and having his mother tell him the guy thought he was cute.

Jackie hesitated. Should she really tell them? This secret meant a lot to her. She didn't want to lose everything she had worked so hard for. But, at the same time, she could lose Hyde and the gang. "Well, it's a long story…"

"We have time," her boyfriend stated firmly. Jackie sighed and looked at Quill, Tony, Mikey, Tanya, and Lizzie.

"Will you guys help me tell them?" she asked pleadingly. They all simply nodded their heads. Being part of the Vortex also meant you helped your friends do things that were hard, and this was definitely going to be hard for Jackie. "Okay, let's go upstairs," Jackie said, heading up the stairs.

"But that guy said to not go upstairs..." Eric trailed off. The five dancers simply laughed.

"That only applies to guests," Quill told them giddily, skipping up the stairs. It was clear she was still drunk. "Hey, Lia, did you know your eyes are different colors?"

Jackie sighed. "Yes, Quill," she answered with a roll of her eyes. Quill wasn't a stupid girl, but she was a stupid drunk.

"What about Jackie?" Kelso asked stupidly. Of all people, Lizzie gave him a look.

"Lia's not a guest," she replied with a soft smile. This only made the gang more confused. What did the pixie-like blonde mean? They headed upstairs to hear Jackie's story, not sure what to expect. Hyde wasn't as mad as he let on, just confused. Who was Jackie?


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey! Sorry it's taken me so long to update this! My life has been hectic. Anyways, thanks for the reviews! I always appreciate them. In this chapter, Jackie tells the gang her story. What will she leave out? How will the gang react? Read to find out! Disclaimer: I do not own That '70s Show. I'm just a lowly fan-fiction writer with a Jackie-Hyde obsession. **

As they walked upstairs, the Vortex argued about whose room they should go to. "Lia, Quill, what about your room?" Mikey asked.

Jackie shook her head no. "I let Belinda and Wren use our room to study tonight. They both have finals in the morning."

Quill shrugged her nose in disgust. "You did tell them doing it doesn't count as studying, right?" Jackie nodded. There was a look of shock on Kelso's face.

"It doesn't?" he asked skeptically. Everyone either rolled their eyes or laughed at him.

"Well, our room is a mess," Tanya commented with a shrug. Lizzie nodded her head in agreement.

"I can't walk in there without getting a migraine," she complained. Tanya glared at her but held back the neat freak comment. The pixie-like girl didn't take comments like that too well.

"Well, we're not going in the guy's room," Jackie stated. "It smells like dead animals in there." Mikey opened his mouth to argue but knew what his brunette friend said was true. Living with a jock didn't make your room smell flowers, that was for sure.

Tony spoke up. "Why don't we just go to the empty room?" he suggested.

Quill smiled. "That's why we love you, Tony," she told him with a laugh, kissing him on the cheek. The jock blushed, which made all the girls laugh.

The gang, particularly Hyde, had been watching how the group interacted closely. Donna noticed how Jackie and Lizzie were in the middle of the four girls, like they were the ones who needed to be protected. Kelso detected traces of cologne from Mikey, verifying his suspicions. Mikey was gay. Hyde noticed how fast Quill walked, like she thought someone was after her. Fez was too busy staring at Tanya's ass to notice any little details, and Eric was completely oblivious to everything.

They stopped in front of a door. "Who has the key?" Lizzie questioned softly.

There was silence amongst the group until Tanya shouted, "I think I do." The redhead put her hand down her tank top and fished it out of her bra. She handed it to Jackie who laughed.

"Great place for it, Tanya," Quill teased. Lizzie rolled her eyes.

"Hey, I had no where else to put it. It's not like I have pockets," Tanya defended, gesturing to her outfit. Jackie put the key in the door and opened it. They walked into the empty room.

Tanya and Quill stole the bean bag chairs. Lizzie managed to squeeze onto Tanya's. Jackie found a pillow and leaned it up against the wall, sitting on the rug. Everyone else just kind of scattered all over. Eric's head was propped up on Donna's shoulder, which was a funny sight. Kelso was laying on his back staring at the ceiling. Fez sat criss-cross. Hyde was just sitting up with his legs down. When everyone was sitting down, they all looked at Jackie. "So…" she said awkwardly. "What do you guys want to know?"

"First off, when did you start to dance like that?" Kelso asked, clearly impressed. "That was hot!" Hyde frogged him. "Ow, Hyde, that hurt!"

Jackie smiled at her boyfriend's defensiveness before answering the pretty boy's question. "Well, I started dancing when I was three years old. My aunt opened up a studio, and my mom signed me up for ballet. I fell in love with it, and I've been doing it ever since. I met Quill in that first class too. We bonded over our parents forgetting to pick us up."

"Hey, my parents did not forget. They were stoned. There's a difference," Quill commented jokingly. All of the gang except Hyde looked at her in shock.

"Your parents were stoned?" Eric asked incredulously. He couldn't imagine his parents getting stoned. The idea alone was hilarious.

Quill shrugged. "They believe that the Man is trying to keep adults from enjoying the pleasures of life such as pot," she answered with a roll of her dark eyes. The Brazilian beauty loved her parents, but she thought they were a little out there.

"Anyways," Jackie continued, "I kept dancing, and we met Lizzie when we were seven. We met Tanya, Mikey, and Tony when we were thirteen. The group was basically complete by then."

Hyde asked the million-dollar question. "What is this place?" It was something that had been bothering him the moment he stepped in the house.

"The Vortex is like a boarding house. Artists, travelers, or really any with no place to go can come and stay here. There's a small rent to pay for the house, but it's not much. Everyone pitches in, cooking or cleaning. There are massive parties all that time, usually with live music, and it's a lot of fun," Jackie answered cheerfully. She loved the Vortex. It was more of a home to her than the Burkhart mansion had ever been.

Hyde eyed his girlfriend suspiciously. "And how do you know all of this?"

Jackie looked down at her Converse before confessing, "I live here." And then the eruption occurred.

"You what?" the gang shouted in shock. Jackie looked down at her shoes. This was the hard part.

"I live here," she stated calmly. The loud midget could feel everyone's eyes on her. "Quill's my roommate."

Donna decided to ask the obvious question. "Where are your parents?" Hyde watched Jackie's dance friends carefully. He noticed how Tanya's expression hardened when the other red-head had asked the question, while Quill's was one of sympathy and understanding.

Jackie felt her words get caught in her throat. She felt Quill's hand squeeze her shoulder in support. "I don't know," the mismatched-eyed beauty confessed with a sad shrug. "My dad's on some kind of business trip. I think he's in trouble since he's not staying anywhere for long. My mom's in some tropic country. I get a postcard once in a while."

"How long have they been gone?" Hyde asked in a low voice. He didn't know why the tiny brunette hadn't told them this before. The gang had long accepted Jackie, and he knew they would all try to dim the pain she was probably. Being abandoned by the people who supposedly loved you was hard. Hyde knew that firsthand.

"A year," Jackie mumbled just loud enough for everyone to hear. The gang looked at her in shock. She had been alone for a year and had said nothing. Hyde's expression hardened for a moment. He didn't understand why Jackie hadn't told him. Of all people, he would understand. Seeing the concerned expressions of her friends, the small dancer added, "Don't worry about me. I'm fine. Everything's fine."

Of course, no one believed her. Both Donna and Hyde caught the subtle way Tanya was clenching her knuckles, and the way Lizzie was just staring down at her shoe. Even Quill's shoulders seemed tense. Donna sighed. Clearly, they weren't going to get anything else out of Jackie that night. "Okay, we'll see you in the basement tomorrow?" Donna said more as a statement than a question. Jackie nodded, and, in a rare affectionate moment, Donna gave her a tight hug. "Night, midget."

Jackie smirked. "Night, lumberjack." Donna grabbed her boyfriend and headed towards the door. Before leaving, Eric looked over at the Vortex group.

"You guys are welcomed to come to the basement, too," the skinny nerd kindly added before being dragged out of the room.

Fez and Kelso got up. The creepy foreigner comforted Jackie by saying, "Don't worry, goddess. We still love you."

Jackie smiled. Fez could always make her feel better no matter what the situation. "Thanks, Fezzie," she replied cheerfully.

"And you're still hot," Kelso added stupidly. Hyde frogged him. "Damn, Hyde! Did you have to go for the same spot?"

Jackie looked up to see her boyfriend studying her. This made her extremely nervous, like he had figured out something new about her. Something he didn't like. "Steven…" the dark-haired dancer whispered just loud enough for him to hear.

"Don't worry. We'll talk more tomorrow," he reassured her calmly. And Hyde had every intention of talking to Jackie and her friends tomorrow. He wanted to know what was going on with the peppy brunette who had weaseled her way into his heart. The burnout wasn't a huge fan of talking, but he was willing to do it for Jackie.

"I wanted to tell you, but I…" Jackie trailed off. She just didn't know how to finish the sentence.

"I understand." Those two words brought Jackie so much comfort. She had never heard them that much and loved them coming from Hyde's mouth. He leaned in and gave her a long, sweet kiss. "Night, Doll."

"Night, Puddin' Pop," Jackie responded softly. She walked the guy she had fallen head over heels in love with walk down the stairs.

Tanya, noticing Jackie's lovesick expression, whistled and stated, "Lia, you're screwed."

Jackie laughed. "You have no idea."

Mikey, remembering something his short friend had said earlier, asked, "Why don't you ever call Tanya a lumberjack? She has red hair." This comment made everyone laugh except for Tanya. She just glared at her gay friend.

"Because Tanya actually dresses like a girl," Jackie retorted. Tanya shot her a gracious smile. The whole group laughed. And, for the first night in a while, Jackie got a peaceful night of sleep. Of course, she knew the good times weren't going to last.


	7. Chapter 7

** Hey! I know it's taken me a long time to update! Sorry about that! My laptop broke, and then I was having major writer's block. It was horrible. Luckily, my writer's block is gone, and I'm writing on my Mac now. I know I left you guys on a cliffhanger, but it'll all be clearer after this chapter. There's a huge surprise in Jackie's life, and it's not good. Want to know what it is? Read to find out! I love ppl who review btw! Disclaimer: I don't own That '70s Show. If I did, they would've done a reunion movie by now! I mean, really, how long are they going to make us wait for that? P.S. If you want to read a possible script for a reunion movie, check out That 70s Show Reunion Movie by 70sfan4life. I could totally see it being made into a movie!**

The next day started off normally enough. After an actual full night of sleep, Jackie woke up. Looking at the clock, she saw it was too early to wake up Quill so she headed downstairs for some coffee. The tiny brunette was going to try a day without speed just to see what would happen. Jackie wanted to prove to her friends that she was addicted. Turning on the coffee maker, she sat at the kitchen table with a Cosmo. It was still a peaceful morning in the Vortex. Jackie knew that in an hour it would complete chaos around the house.

Mornings were the busiest time of the day in the Vortex. Everyone was going to work or school, and new people constantly showed up. Of course, there was a clear distinction between them and people who lived in the house full time. Travelers usually slept on one of the cots or couches around the house. Depending on how long their stay was, they didn't have to pay rent. Of course, once it went pass a month, they had to pay up or leave. This meant that they got a lot of interesting people traipsing in and out of the house. There had been a family of gypsies who had predicted everyone's futures, a painter who proposed to Quill five minutes after her, and the brooding guitarist that Jackie had made out with after her breakup with Kelso. Of course, none of these people were really strangers. Most people only found out about the Vortex through people who lived there. It wasn't a place that was common knowledge to everyone.

Jackie had discovered the house when she was fourteen. Quill had just gotten legally emancipated from her parents, and after staying at Jackie's for a bit, she had moved into a place called the Vortex. Quill had brought Jackie over to see the place. The loud midget fell in love with the house on her first visit. Mikey lived there too since his parents kicked him out for coming out of the closet. From then on, the Vortex became the group' hangout. Whenever Jackie needed to get away from her house, she spent the night there. The house was one of the few places she truly loved and felt at home at. When she was sixteen and had been alone for a year, Tanya had coxed her into moving in. The girls were roommates at first. At that point, the whole group was living in her house. Lizzie's parents had died, leaving her with no guardian, and the quiet blonde wasn't about to go into foster care. Tony had left his house after being slapped one too many times by his alcoholic father. Tanya, on the other hand, was disowned by a conservative Catholic family that frowned upon her hobbies and opinions. They still paid for her school, of course, but otherwise washed their hands of her.

Jackie was brought out of her memories by the sound of heels walking down the oak stairs. She turned around to see Lizzie dressed and ready to go. The pixie blonde was wearing a white tank top with an earth-toned striped cardigan and dark flared jeans with brown cowboy boots. She had Tanya's bronze hoops in her ears and light gold metallic eye shadow on her eyes with a darker red lip gloss sparingly applied to her lips. Jackie knew that, wherever Lizzie was going, she certainly wasn't tutoring.

"Hey," Jackie called out, causing Lizzie to freeze in place and turn around. "Where are you going?" Lizzie was just about to say tutoring when her friend cut her off. "And don't answer tutoring."

"I met a guy," Lizzie answered timidly. "He works at an auto shop right outside Point Place. I've been meeting him every morning before school for breakfast." She felt relieved to get that off her chest but also afraid that her friend would be angry that she lied.

Surprisingly, Jackie's face lit up with joy. "Oh, what's his name? What does he look like? When did you meet him?" she shot off question after question.

Lizzie sighed in relief. Jackie wasn't mad at her. "I'm going to be late so I'll tell you later tonight," she promised the dark-haired dancer.

Jackie pouted. "No! I can't wait that long. I'll die of curiosity," she proclaimed. After thinking a moment, Jackie said, "Tell me at lunch. You can tell me about your boyfriend and get to know why at the same time."

"Are you sure?" Lizzie asked worriedly. She didn't want to intrude in on Jackie's group.

"Of course!" Jackie insisted. "Meet me in the parking lot?"

"Parking lot?" Lizzie asked quizzically.

"It's where we eat lunch," Jackie explained. Lizzie nodded and went to meet her boyfriend. Jackie went upstairs to wake up Quill and get ready for school. An hour later, everybody was up and eating breakfast. Tanya and Tony were both in their school uniforms. Mikey was wearing hospital scrubs since he was volunteering that day. Jackie was wearing a flower printed tank top with a yellow cardigan borrowed from Lizzie and a short jean skirt with platform sandals. There were small silver hoops in her ears and light pink lip-gloss on her lips. Spring was just starting to arrive, and she was going to take advantage of the weather. Quill was a striped tank top with cut-off jean shorts and red sneaker boots on her feet with purple knee socks peeping out. She had dangly dream catcher earrings in her ears and red lips. Someone made waffles that morning, and even Jackie had one.

When asked where Lizzie was, Jackie changed the subject and turned over to Belinda and Wren, wishing them good luck on their finals. Tanya and Quill pestered her the entire car ride over to the Formans' about where Lizzie was. Finally, Jackie got annoyed. "Ask me later!" she answered, clearly annoyed. She got out of the car and started walking up the Formans' driveway. Jackie turned around when Quill shouted her name.

"Lia, don't you think you forgot something?" the Brazilian beauty asked, dangly Jackie's house keys in her hand. She tossed her friend the keys. Jackie smiled.

"Thanks, Quill," Jackie replied with a sheepish smile. She had a bad habit of forgetting her keys.

Quill smirked. "Oh, Lia, what would you do without me?" she teased.

Jackie rolled her eyes. "No idea," she responded. "Bye!" The car drove off. The pint-sized princess walked up the driveway to where the gang was waiting. Hyde was sitting on his car. Jackie walked up to him and gave him a long kiss. "Hey, Puddin' Pop," she greeted happily.

"Hey, doll," Hyde replied.

Jackie looked around. "Where did Eric go?" she asked curiously. Everyone around her snickered.

"Red's yelling at him for being a lazy, good-for-nothing, ungrateful, high-school, Star Wars loving, high school geek whose lack of any skills will keep him from accomplishing anything good in life," Kelso explained with a gleeful expression. "It's an octoburn!" Jackie laughed at her ex's excitement.

"Well, do we have to wait for him?" she asked. The gang seemed to consider her question.

"No," they answered, getting into the El Camino. Hyde put his arm around Jackie, and she relaxed into it. They drove to school listening to Kelso and Fez bicker over the best superhero. Jackie and Hyde made out for a bit before the bell rang. He didn't care about being late to class, but she certainly did.

All of Jackie's morning classes seemed to fly by. Lizzie met in her in the parking lot, and the shy girl had lunch with Jackie and the gang, loosening up as time went on. She blushed when Kelso flirted with her, and Jackie told him to back off. Apparently, Lizzie had met her new boyfriend, Jeff, at a Carpenter's concert. He was tall and blonde, with brown eyes. Jeff was a couple years older than them, but not too much. Jackie squealed in delight with her friend. It was about time Lizzie had a boyfriend. The tiny brunette only hoped he was understanding of Lizzie's problem, which he didn't know about yet.

Lunch also flew by. Jackie was taking notes in history and watching the clock. Her teacher droned on about the contrast between Nixon and Benedict Arnold. Suddenly, there was a PA announcement. Everyone perked up, hoping that school was suddenly canceled or something. "Jackie Burkhart, please report to the principle's office."

There were snickers all over the room as Jackie got up to leave. Lizzie caught her eye, silently asking what was up. Jackie simply shrugged. She had no clue what was going on. The loud midget walked to the office, scanning her mind for what this could be about. She hadn't done anything to get in trouble. When Jackie walked into the office, the secretary looked up at her. "He's ready to see you, honey," she said sympathetically. Jackie thanked her and walked into the principal's office. She had only been in there a couple of times and none of them for anything bad.

"Hello, Ms. Burkhart," the principal greeted her sadly. "Please sit down." Jackie sat down and listened. "I'm very sorry to inform you that your aunt was in a car accident earlier this morning. The hospital called at lunch, but we were unable to locate you."

Jackie's jaw dropped. "Oh my God," she said in shock. "Is she okay?"

"The hospital said she had suffered major injuries and would need surgery," the principal informed her. "I have dismissed you from your afternoon classes."

"Thank you," Jackie managed to get out. She left the office only to find Lizzie waiting for her.

"I asked to go to the bathroom," Lizzie explained. "What's up?"

"My aunt was in a car accident today," Jackie choked out, tears running down her face.

"What?" Lizzie asked in disbelief. "Is she okay?"

"She's alive," Jackie responded. "I'm going down to the hospital right now."

"I'll drive you," Lizzie offered. Jackie was about to shake her head no, but the pixie blonde stopped her. "You can't drive right now." The two girls headed towards Lizzie's car. Jackie was thankful for such a good friend and started to pray. Her aunt had to be okay. She just had to be.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey! Once again, I'm so sorry for the lapse in between updates. Getting settled into a new school has been hectic and tiring so I haven't updated as much as I would like to. And once again, I did leave you on a cliffhanger, but I promise to kill the suspense with this chapter. Jackie's aunt is in the hospital. What's the tiny brunette going to about the dance studio? How will her fellow dancers react? Read to find out! Disclaimer: Insert some kind of witty comment here cuz I'm too tired to make one up.**

Lizzie drove to the hospital as fast as she could without breaking the speed limit, but it still felt like she wasn't going fast enough. Jackie's head was spinning. Her aunt had been in a car accident, and she could die. Aunt Shauna was the only person in Jackie's family that cared about her. If she died, Jackie would have no one left. Her aunt had saved her from being her mother. Aunt Shauna taught Jackie how to dance, giving her life a purpose. Without dance, the loud midget knew she'd be just like Pam, a slutty bimbo who used men like tissue. Jackie knew her aunt didn't want that kind of life for her; she didn't want that kind of life for herself. Jackie always wondered if her aunt ever thought about her younger sister anymore. The petite dancer had a feeling her mom hadn't always been so bad. After all, Aunt Shauna had loved her little sister at one point, or at least that's what Jackie had deducted from old photos. Something must've gone wrong.

She snapped out of her thoughts once Lizzie parked the car. Both girls ran towards the hospital as fast as they could, Jackie having more difficulty due to her platform sandals. They got into the elevator and wanted until their stop. Jackie fiddled with the ends of her hair anxiously. She desperately wanted something to organize or alphabetize, anything to calm her already frazzled nerves. Lizzie saw her dark-haired friend practically shaking. She put a reassuring hand on Jackie's shoulder and smiled. The tiny brunette wasn't in this alone.

Almost everything that followed that was a blur. Shauna's doctors tried to explain her injuries and procedures to Jackie, but it all went in one ear and out the other. Lizzie didn't catch any of it either. Both girls were still too in shock to process what the doctors had told them. The last part, however, caught their attention.

"And if surgery goes well, your aunt will be fine," one of the doctors reassured Jackie. She breathed a sigh of relief. "But she will need to rest for a couple of weeks to let her bones and stiches heal." Jackie and Lizzie shared a look. Who was going to run the studio while Shauna was recovering?

Jackie thanked the doctors, and they left the hospital after being promised they'd get a call when Shauna was out of surgery and awake. The crazy-eyed beauty ordered Lizzie to go make sure all the dancers were at the studio in an hour and to tell the basement gang she wouldn't be showing up today. Lizzie guessed Jackie was heading straight for the studio to see if they could even make it without Shauna in the first place. The dancers there were talented, but the studio wasn't one of the wealthiest ones. Many of the dancers were there on some kind of work schedule or scholarship, mostly because Shauna hated to turn down a dancer with potential. Unfortunately, this was bad for business.

Meanwhile, Eric, Donna, Hyde, Kelso, and Fez were hanging out in the basement waiting for Jackie to show up with some of her dance friends. Someone had told Donna the loud midget had been excused from her afternoon classes earlier that day. The redhead wondered what kind of emergency there was.

"Where's Jackie?" Kelso complained. "We've been waiting for her for a half hour, and I want to go to the Hub now. I'm starving." Hyde shot him a dirty look.

"We'll wait for her, and you'll shut up," he threatened. Kelso sank back down into his seat. Eric, on the other hand, was smirking. "What, Forman?"

"You just used the Jedi Mind trick," the Star Wars geek proclaimed. "I'm so proud of you," he added, wiping away fake tears.

"No, I didn't," Hyde argued. Of course, he may have done it, but he'd never admit that to Eric.

"You did too."

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"DID NOT!"

"Did too!" Their argument was cut short when Lizzie walked into the room. Fez and Kelso couldn't help but stare. Hyde just nodded in her direction. Donna was the first one to say something to the newcomer.

"Hey, Lizzie," the redhead greeted with a smile. "Where's Jackie?" she asked, looking behind the quiet blonde and seeing no one.

"She's at the studio," Lizzie responded tentatively. Hyde caught the reluctance behind that answer and immediately got suspicious.

"And why is she at the studio?" Hyde questioned. Despite everything, Lizzie laughed. Hyde reminded her of Quill in the sense that they were both paranoid as hell. Of course, for Quill it was understandable since they grew up with first-generation hippie parents. Seeing her friend's boyfriend's face however, the shy girl grew serious.

"Her aunt was in a car accident today and is in the hospital. Lia's at the studio to make sure everything's still running smoothly," Lizzie informed them. Everyone's jaws dropped. It was bad enough her parents didn't love her, but now she almost loses the only real family she has left.

"Well, let's go then," Hyde stated, heading towards the door. Everyone else followed.

Jackie, on the other hand, was staring at herself in the huge mirror. She had changed into her leotard and hard-toe shoes and was starting to warm up. There was a lot of stuff to figure out, but Jackie needed to clear her head. She started with some plies before going into her pirouettes and leaps. Jackie, while trained in classical ballet, preferred neoclassical ballet, a form of ballet that was more innovative. The tiny brunette lost herself in the spins and turns of her solo routines. She was so immersed in what she was doing that she didn't notice Lizzie and the basement gang enter the studio.

They all stared in awe, even Lizzie. Jackie's dancing was beautiful, and yet it had so much power. The shy dancer could see the frustration melt off her friend as she danced. Hyde couldn't keep his eyes off his girlfriend. She looked so hot that he wanted to grab her and kiss her forever. Donna, on the other hand, was feeling guilty. She had always made fun of Jackie for being so girly, but the redhead also admired her talent.

Jackie finished a difficult leap with a turn combination and then ended in a pose and a calm smile. It always felt good to practice. Everything stopped when she dance. It was like only what she was doing actually mattered. She heard clapping and turned around. The gang and Lizzie were standing there clapping, their jaw drops. Jackie smirked.

"Damn, Jackie! That was hot!" Kelso stated. Surprisingly, Hyde didn't frog him. He was too in shock.

"You were beautiful, my goddess," Fez stated. Jackie blushed.

"Thanks, but it's still rough," she explained, getting raised eyebrows from the gang and rolled eyes from Lizzie.

"That's rough?" Donna stated in disbelief. She looked at Lizzie who rolled her eyes.

"Lia's a perfectionist," Lizzie explained. "She'll never think any routine is perfect."

"Whatever," Jackie replied. "Let's getting ready for the meeting." Lizzie raised an eyebrow. What was going to happen to the studio?


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey! Thanks for your reviews and patience as always. I know I'm horrible at updating so thanks for sticking it out with me! *gives reviewers huge thumbs up* In this chapter, Jackie has a meeting at the studio with her fellow dancers. What's going to happen to the studio? What more will the gang learn about Jackie? Read to find out! Disclaimer: I don't own That '70s Show, but I feel like I could've been Jackie Burkhart in another life. Just saying! *winks***

Twenty minutes later, all of the older dancers were gathered in the largest rehearsal room. Jackie had only called in the students above the age of twelve. Those were the ones who could help teach classes and such. Plus, the younger kids wouldn't be able to keep their mouths shut, and Jackie didn't need a bunch of parents trying to take over the studio. If there was anything her aunt truly hated, it was controlling dance moms. "Just a bunch of wannabes trying to life through their kids," was Aunt Shauna's summary of them. The tiny brunette agreed. She loved teaching the little kids, but their parents were a pain in the butt. It was better for them not to know anything.

She glanced around the room, doing a quick headcount in her head. There were only about fifty dancers over the age of twelve, and they were all present. Jackie looked over at Quill, silently asking her to quiet the room down. The hippie chick nodded. She stood up on her chair and cupped her hands around her mouth. "Shut up!" Quill shouted. The room immediately became silent.

Jackie began to speak. "Hey everyone thanks for coming on such short notice. There's recently been a change that will affect all of us, and it needs to be dealt with immediately." She paused for a moment, unsure as how to continue.

Luckily, a thirteen year old tap dancer named Sasha asked the golden question. "What's happened?" Sasha knew Jackie wouldn't call a meeting unless it was really important, and the African American girl had reason to worry if something was wrong. She was on scholarship at the studio, and no other studio would take her because of her race if this one were to close.

Tanya spoke up, sensing that the topic was too painful for her friend to talk about. "Shauna was in a car accident today." There was a collective gasp around the room. Everyone loved Shauna, even the more difficult students, and they knew she was the heart of the studio. "She's okay but is going to be in recovery for a little while."

Jackie took over. "Which is why I called this meeting. I looked over my aunt's finical records, and this place isn't doing so well," the loud midget explained worriedly. "Since so many of you are on scholarship, the costs haven't been evening out. She's been saving money by teaching more classes herself, but now that she can't teach, we're short of teachers." She paused before continuing, letting the information sink in. "Which means everyone here on scholarship will have to take over a class even if you already have one. And those of you who aren't on scholarship still have to do your part too. You're in charge of putting together the showcase."

There was a large collection of groans throughout the room. It wasn't because they didn't care enough, but dancing was already a big commitment as it was. Now they had to run a studio?

Jackie raised an eyebrow. "And do I need to remind you that not only will benefactors be attending the showcase but also companies looking to hire? And also, there might be some people from Julliard," she coyly stated, a smile on her face for the first time since hearing about her aunt's accident. Everyone immediately brightened up. The gang had no idea what Julliard was, but they had a feeling it was important.

Lizzie stood up. "To find out your new teaching and rehearsal schedule, check the bulletin board outside the door before you leave. Any problems can be brought directly to me, and I'll sort it out."

Everyone started to leave, but then Quill thought of something. "Oh, and don't forget routines will be finalized in two weeks! Be ready!"

Jackie sighed as everyone piled out of the room. She walked over to where the gangs and her friends were sitting. The pint-sized princess sat down and rested her head on Tanya's shoulder. "So much to do," she mumbled.

Tanya rubbed her friend's back reassuringly. "Don't worry, everything will be fine," she said soothingly. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"And at least you don't have to teach the little monsters," Mikey added cheerfully. Jackie considered this before smiling.

"This is true," she replied with a laugh. "Who has to teach them anyway?  
Lizzie smirked. "Quill. I figured she has as much energy as them all the times anyway. It seemed like a perfect fit." Quill made a face at her. "See what I mean?"

A nagging thought was bothering Hyde. What had Jackie meant by companies and some place called Julliard. "What's Julliard?" he asked casually. The dancers exchanged a look. It felt so weird to be hanging out with someone not immersed in their world. What kind of question was that?

Surprisingly, Tony was the one who spoke up. "Julliard is a performing arts college in New York City. They only accept the best dancers in the country."

Donna's curiosity was piqued. "Why are they coming to your showcase?" she asked suspiciously. Lizzie, Quill, Tanya, Mikey, and Tony all shared a look before smirking in Jackie's direction. The crazy-eyed beauty blushed at everyone's eyes on her.

The gang's jaws dropped. "They're coming to see you!" Fez shouted excitedly.

Jackie nodded, not elaborating. Quill stepped in. "Jackie's nationally ranked as one of the top five dancers in the Midwest," she explained calmly. The Brazilian beauty knew her friend wasn't one to brag about stuff like that, but that doesn't mean she could. Quill was always proud of her friends; their achievements felt like hers.

"Oh my god!" Donna shouted in disbelief. "Why didn't you ever tell us?"

Jackie shrugged. "I never thought it was that big of a deal," she admitted. Suddenly, the phone rang. "I'll be right back," she stated. Once she was gone, Hyde turned to the dancers.

"How could she not think that's a big deal?" he demanded to know.

"Jackie's a perfectionist," Mikey stated. "She'll never settle for anything but the best. No routine is ever good enough. I can't tell you the number of times I've seen her nitpick through a perfect routine to find ten things wrong with it." The gang sat there observing all this information. What else had they yet to learn about their favorite midget?


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey! Sorry it took me so long to update. Lately all I've wanted to do is sleep. *tries to remain sitting upright* So now Jackie's running the studio, and she's starting to lose her grip. What will she do next? How will it affect her relationships? Read to find out! Disclaimer: I don't own That '70s Show. Never have, sadly never will. **

Jackie sighed as she looked at the massive amounts of paperwork scattered all over her desk. Now she knew how hard it was for her aunt to do this alone. She grabbed a pen and started to fill all the forms out. It was a good thing she had kept her pills. Though the tiny brunette knew she could function without them most of the time, there were just too many things for her to do at the moment to waste any time on sleep. She knew her friends were starting to worry about her, but there were no other options. Jackie had to keep the studio open. There were so many people's futures at stake, especially hers. She wanted to get out of Point Place so badly that it made her want to scream.

Quill came into the studio office after teaching her last class at nine o'clock to find Jackie asleep on top of a pile of paperwork. The sight made her sad. The loud midget was working herself to the bone to keep everything running smoothly, and she needed a break. Between school, dance, cheerleading, and running the studio, Jackie couldn't find time for eating or sleeping, let alone seeing her boyfriend and basement friends. Motioning for Tony to follow her, Quill walked towards Jackie and gently removed the paperwork from under her, placing it in her bag. Tong lifted the sleeping dancer out of the chair and carried her to the car. They headed back to the Vortex.

Jackie woke up in a panic. She was in her own bed and had no clue how she got there. The last thing she remembered was filling out paperwork at her aunt's desk and then… Her mind began to race. She still had paperwork and homework to do, routines to touch up, and a finale to choreograph. "Hey," a voice greeted brightly. "You're up." Jackie turned to see Quill in the doorway holding two cups of coffee. She handed one to Jackie and sat down.

"What time is it?" Jackie asked urgently. She knew she had a class today.

"Ten thirty," Quill casually replied. The hippie chick laughed when Jackie's eyes bugged out. "Don't worry, you don't have to be at the studio until one today anyway."

"But the paperwork…" Jackie started.

"Is finished," Quill told her. "Tanya and I finished it up last night."

"My homework…"

"Is done too. Lizzie did it for you." Quill stopped for a moment, taking a sip of her coffee. "Now, drink up and get dressed. Donna and Eric came over this morning to see you, but I told them you were still asleep. Apparently Hyde's even grumpier than usual." Jackie laughed and hugged her friend.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"No problem," Quill replied.

Half an hour later, Jackie was dressed and ready to go to the basement. She was wearing a white peasant top with blue flowers, Tanya's light blue jeans, tan gladiator sandals, and bronze hoop earrings. Her makeup was soft with pink lip gloss and minimal eye makeup. Jackie knew that despite the concealer she had put on, she still looked exhausted. Mikey offered to drop her off at the Formans on his way to the hospital. They left five minutes later. The drive was quiet but peaceful. When they got to the Formans, Jackie kissed Mikey on the cheek and got out of the car. "Bye, love," he said. She waved as he drove off.

The group was sitting in the basement watching reruns of Charlie's Angels. Truthfully, no one was watching it. They were all waiting for Jackie to make an appearance. Quill had told them Jackie would be over that afternoon so everyone's glances were directed at the door, particularly Hyde's. Though he would never admit it, he desperately wanted to see his girlfriend. Finally, Kelso spoke up.

"I'm bored," he whined. Everyone looked at him.

"Nobody cares," Hyde shot back, his eyes never leaving the door.

"Hyde misses Jackie," Kelso sang idiotically. Hyde frogged him. At that moment, Jackie entered the basement.

"Goddess!" Fez shouted happily.

"Finally," Donna sighed. "I'm ready to kill these idiots." Jackie laughed. Hyde looked at his girlfriend carefully. She was cheerful but seemed exhausted. There were bags under her eyes and an unusual pale tint to her skin. Her shirt seemed to be just a little too big.

Jackie went and sat on her boyfriend's lap. "Hey Pudding Pop," she whispered tiredly.

"Hey Doll," he said back. Jackie rested her head in his chest and closed her eyes. For some reason, she always slept better in Hyde's arm. And for those few moments, she forgot about dance routines and paperwork, cheerleading practice and her Julliard application. In that moment, she was just a girl hanging out in a dingy but homey basement with her boyfriend and friends. And for some reason, this give her more peace than she had felt in a long time. Because Jackie's live was no longer centered on one thing. It involved many people, all of whom would actually care if something was to happen to her. The basement gang sat and quietly watched Charlie's Angel, somehow sensing that their favorite midget needed the silence. They were just happy to have her back. Little did any of them know the complicated turn Jackie's life was soon to take.


	11. Chapter 11

** Hey! Thanks for your reviews and patience as always! I have finals coming up, but I promise to try to update a frequently as I can. So in this chapter, the gang visits Jackie at the studio and sees what she really does there. Also, Jackie is stuck on the finale but finds inspiration in an unlikely pace. What will happen next? Read to find out! Disclaimer: I don't own That '70s Show, but I write this anyway cuz my life would be so dull without fanfiction.**

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8!" Jackie counted down, clapping her hands in sync to the music as the dancers on stage spun and turned in various directions. To an outsider, it would like dancing chaos on the stage, but Jackie knew what she was doing. Or, at least she thought she did. Every other routine had been choreographed and practiced to perfection, but it was the finale that was giving her trouble. It was usually her aunt's job to choreograph the final, and Jackie wanted to live up or even possibly exceed expectations. The finale had to be something new and exciting, something that would shock people and earn money for the studio. The tiny brunette was too absorbed in what she was doing to see the basement gang walk in.

Kelso and Fez's eyes were firmly glued to all the hot girls in leotards. Fez practically had drool dripping out of his mouth. Donna rolled her eyes in disgust and slapped Eric when she saw him checking out some girl's butt. Hyde seemed immune to all the hot girls in leotards, his eyes searching for his loud girlfriend. He found her at the front of the room near the stage, watching the dancers with a critical eye. Hyde held back a laugh every time Jackie rolled her eyes. Finally, she'd had enough. "Stop!" Jackie shouted tiredly. All of the dancers turned to look at her. "Take five," she commanded. Everyone got off the stage and darted towards their water bottles. Jackie sighed and sat down, her hand on her forehead. Quill looked at her worriedly.

"What's wrong, Lila?" the hippie chick asked worriedly.

"It's not working," Jackie stated with a frown. Her friends looked at each other in confusion.

"What's not working?" Tanya questioned.

"The routine," Jackie clarified. "Something's not working."

"Which part?" Lizzie asked quietly, trying to get into her friend's head.

"I'm not sure yet," Jackie shrugged. "But I'll figure it out soon." At that moment the basement gang made their way to where Jackie was sitting. Jackie's eyes sparkled when she saw Hyde. She stood up and gave him a long hard kiss. "Hey, Puddin' Pop," she whispered.

"Hey doll," he replied back. "Ready for a break?"

Jackie snorted. "I wish. There's so much to do that my head's spinning." At that moment, one of the other dancers waved Jackie over. She turned to her friends. "I'll be back in a sec." As Jackie walked away, Hyde turned to Quill.

"Is she okay?" he asked her quietly. Quill just looked down at her feet quietly.

Tanya spoke up. "Lia's stressed out. She's averaging maybe three hours of sleep a night, and she's eating even less."

Donna's eyes bugged out. "How is she even functioning?" the redhead asked worriedly. All of the dancers exchanged a look. They were all pretty sure Jackie would tear their heads off if they told the basement gang about the speed. Still, it felt like something they should know, particularly in Hyde's case.

"I have no idea," Quill lied, but Hyde didn't buy it. Her eyes looked guiltily.

"Look, I know you know. So tell me what's going on," Hyde demanded angrily. Quill exchanged a look with the rest of her friends. None of them knew who they were more scared of: Jackie or Hyde. It was a tough choice.

After a moment of silence, Lizzy spoke up, which shocked the basement gang since they never heard her talk. "Jackie's got to tell you herself," the shy blonde said softly. "Otherwise it won't help her."

"Help her?" Hyde repeated. "What's wrong with her in the first place?" No one said anything. They all just turned back to see Jackie starting to make an announcement.

"Good work today, guys," Jackie started. "Most of the solos and group routines are looking pretty good, and we'll figure out the finale tomorrow! Have a great weekend!" The other dancers left excitedly. Jackie went back and grabbed her stuff and some paperwork from the office before meeting her friends by the door.

"Well, today was slightly better than yesterday," Quill offered cheerfully. Jackie shrugged. She guessed so, but the finale was really throwing her. "You gabe them the weekend off?"

The beautiful dancer nodded. "I need to figure out the finale, and there's only so much rehearsing they can do." By then, Hyde's arm was around her shoulder, and she moved closer to him.

"So we are going to the party tonight?" Mikey clarified, running his hands through his thoughtfully slicked back hair.

Jackie hesitated for a moment but looked at her friends and was convinced. They needed a break, and it would be nice to spend time with her friends at a Vortex party. "Sure," she agreed. Quill and Mikey high-fived.

Causal conversation broke out in the car. Tanya turned to Lizzie. "So, are we going to get to meet this mystery man of yours tonight?" the redhead asked. Lizzie only blushed in response. Everyone cracked up laughing.

Later that night, Jackie was dressed and ready. She was in a red and white striped tank top, dark blue shorts slightly frayed at the bottom, her favorite red Converse, Tanya's sliver hoops, and a charm bracelet. Her hair was curled and in a half ponytail. She was wearing a nude lip-gloss and concealer to cover up all the bags under her eyes. Quill came out in a white tank top, patchwork multi-colored skirt, scuffed up cowboy boots with a hint of her rainbow socks peeking out, and a pair of dream catcher earrings. Her eyes had thick black eyeliner and lavender eye shadow on them, but she wasn't wearing any lip gloss.

"Interesting look," Jackie stated, looking Quill over. The Brazilian beauty really was an original.

"Thanks," Quill replied. She smoothed down her skirt. "You look tired."

"Gee, thanks," Jackie shot back.

"I just mean that you look like you need some sleep," Quill clarified. Jackie shrugged.

"And I also need more hours in a day, but that's not going to happen either." The tiny brunette headed downstairs wit Quill close behind. She spotted Lizzie, Lizzie's boyfriend Jeff, and Tanya immediately. Tanya was wearing black leather pants, a long sleeveless red dress over them with a black belt at the waist, and cheetah print Converse. Her red hair was curled at the tips, and her makeup was soft with a light pink lip. Lizzie was wearing Jackie's sequined pink tank top with a light blue frayed jean miniskirt and pink flats. There was a light pink headband in her honey blonde hair and sliver dangly earrings in her ears. She had soft makeup except for a pink lip. Jeff, on the other hand, was wearing a white t-shirt with a leather jacket over it and dark blue jeans with black Converse. Something about the way he carried himself told Jackie she wouldn't have to worry about Lizzie.

"Hey!" Quill said excitedly. "Let's go to the circle!" The four of them followed her to the circle, where they met up with Mikey and Tony. Mikey looked very dashing in a white t-shirt with a blue and black stripped vest over it with black skinny jeans and funky blue sneakers. Tony was in his usual jeans and jersey, but the loud midget noticed that he had finally cut his hair.

Her attention was turned back to the circle when the band started to play one of her favorite songs. She and Quill ran in and started dancing like idiots. It felt so good that Jackie didn't care how she looked. That was probably the real reason she had kept dancing: it made her free. When Jackie danced, all the pressures and burdens of her life seemed to all melt away. All that was there was her and the music, and there wasn't a better feeling in the world.

Jackie watched the other dancers in the circle, her mind still wandering to the finale. What they needed more than anything was something new, something no one had even thought of before. And then she looked up and saw Richard break dancing. A light bulb went off in Jackie's head. She had found her routine. Now all she needed was the help of Richard and a few of his friends…


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey! Sorry it took so long for me to update! I just finished finals yesterday so now I'll have more time. In this chapter, Jackie tries to blend two types of dance together, but will she be successful? Read on to find out! Disclaimer: I don't own That '70s Show, but I do now own the first two seasons! *cheers***

Quill let out a large yawn and stretched out her legs, reaching over to touch her toes. For some reason, Jackie had called them all into the studio at seven in the morning. Though the tiny brunette wasn't in sight, the exotic beauty knew her best friend was somewhere in the studio. After all, she was the one who had dragged Quill out of bed and convinced her to get dress. Jackie had had a determined light in her eyes, and Quill would've bet money the dark-haired midget had yet to go to bed. Tanya sat down next to her and handed her a coffee.

"Thanks," Quill said, taking a sip and savoring it. Tanya nodded, tying the ribbons on her ballet shoes tight.

"So what's Lia's big idea anyway?" the redhead wondered, pulling her hair back into a tight bun.

Quill shrugged. Lizzie, Tony, and Mikey had finally joined them. Out of all of them, Lizzie was the only one who looked awake. Then again, the quiet blonde was used to getting up this early even on a Saturday. Mikey's hair looked uncharacteristically disheveled, almost like Tony had styled it. Tony looked like he just rolled out of bed also, but that was his usual look anway.  
"This better be important," Mikey grumbled, running a hand through his messy hair, "Because if it's not, I'm going to kill Lia. I need my beauty sleep." The girls laughed while Tony rolled his eyes.

"Lia wouldn't call us in if it wasn't important," Lizzie reminded them quietly. Tony nodded in agreement. The conversation ended, and everyone started to stretch. Slowly, the other dancers started to arrive and began to do their stretches around the room. Only the select few chosen to be in the finale were there. The finale was probably the most important routine of the showcase. It was what caught the eyes of investors, dance companies, and performing art schools. Many of them, including Jackie, needed this finale to be perfect. Hopefully Jackie's brilliant idea worked.

Finally, their loud leader made an appearance. Her hair was in a messy bun and there were bags around her eyes, but she looked happy. And she wasn't alone. Behind her was Richard and about four or five of his friends. Quill recognized some of the guys from Vortex parties but had no clue as to what they were doing here.

Jackie clapped her hands together. "Okay guys, listen up," she instructed. "This is Richard and his crew, and they're here to help us with our finale."

Shock was evident in the room. "Help us?" one of the snobbier girls, Bethany, snorted. "How could they help us? They look like drug dealers!"

Jackie gave Bethany a cool glare. "Well, Bethany, I think I'm going to partner you with Raz. Maybe he'll be able to teach you something." A tall, suave-looking guy stepped forward. His hair was shaved off and he had light stubble that added to his appeal. He was dressed in a white long-sleeved shirt with a vest over it and black pants with funky tennis shoes. He bowed to Bethany, and despite her initial reaction, she blushed.

"So what's the finale?" another dancer asked curiously.

"You'll find out tomorrow. Today you're here to learn something new," Jackie answered. And so she put everyone into groups to learn from Richard's crew. She and the Vortex gang sat and watched since they already knew how to dance like that.

Quill held back a laugh as she saw one of the prissiest girls at the studio try to breakdance. "So what's the point of this?" she asked Jackie.

"It's going to prepare them to learn the finale tomorrow," Jackie replied, her eyes glued to the dancers rehearsing.

"Which is…" Mikey trailed off.

Jackie smirked. "Let's just say we're going to start a revolution." And then she proceeded to explain her routine and the music they were going to have. Her friends sat there, listening in shock and amazement. They couldn't believe the idea Jackie had thought of, but at the same time they weren't sure if they could pull it off. However, if it did work, the studio would be fine, and Jackie would go to Julliard. All they could really do was hope. Well, that and kick the asses of any other dancers who weren't cooperating or just couldn't get it. One thing was for sure. Shauna would be proud.

Meanwhile, in the basement, everyone sat anxiously waiting for Jackie to arrive. Her dance friends' words had been swirling through all of their minds, and they all wanted to know what was going on. Hyde was probably the most anxious. He knew something had been going on but had been too afraid to say anything. To hear her other friends talk so bluntly about the situation, however, kicked some sense into him.

"I'm bored," Kelso whined, unaware of the tension in the room.

"Shut up, Kelso!" Hyde shouted angrily, needing some kind of outlet for his anger.

"Make me!" the dumb boy shouted back. Hyde walked over and hit Kelso in the eye. Kelso tried to hit him back but Hyde just tackled him to the ground. The two continued to fight like that until Jackie walked through the door. Her hair was in a messy bun, and she looked exhausted but happy.

"Miss me?" she joked, looking down at the fighting friends. Hyde got off of Kelso and stood up, walking over to his chair. Jackie followed and sat down on his lap. Noticing everyone's worried faces, she asked, "What's up?"

Donna gave her best friend a concerned look. "Jackie, what was that problem Tanya, Quill, and Lizzie were talking about the other day?" Jackie visibly stiffened but said nothing. "Well?"

"I have no clue what you're talking about, Donna," she replied haughtily.

Hyde rolled his eyes. "Cut the crap, Jackie. We know there's something wrong with you. You're practically a sack of bones, and you look like you haven't slept in a year!"

Donna cut in. "We just want to help," the redhead pleaded. "Let us help you."

Jackie felt herself help. She stood up and started yelling. "I don't need your help! I don't need help! I'm doing perfectly fine on my own!"

"You're not healthy," Hyde stated a low voice.

"I'm healthy enough," Jackie shot back. "There's no such thing as a fat dancer," she added.

Hyde's temper flared. "So that's the source of the problem then? Dancing? Well then, stop dancing!" he yelled.

Jackie felt like someone had just shot her in the heart. "Stop dancing? Seriously? Do you even know me at all?"

"It's killing you," Hyde insisted in a shaky voice.

"It's the only reason I don't kill myself!" This statement got everyone's attention. "It's the reason I wake up in the morning and keep going! It's the only thing in my life that's always been there for me, and if you can't accept that then we're through!" Jackie walked out, slamming the door. The gang sat there in stunned silence, silently reevaluating the tiny midget they had grown to love. And Hyde sat there, lost in his thoughts. There was still an underlying problem that much he knew. Now he just had to find it.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey! Thanks for all the reviews! I think this story is starting to come to close, but we'll see. In this chapter, Jackie's health takes a turn for the worse, and her friends are forced to face reality. Disclaimer: I don't own That '70s Show. I'm so poor I can't pay attention, especially in World History where I'm writing this. **

Jackie looked in the mirror and wiped the sweat off her forehead. She had taught the dancers the finale earlier that morning, and while it had taken some effort, it seemed to be coming along. Now she was working on her solo. The solo had to be absolutely perfect if she wanted to get into Julliard. The tiny brunette had wanted to go there since she was a little girl. New York City had always seemed like a magical place to her, so unlike the tackiness of Point Place. She loved the tiny town, but it was too small for her. She wanted somewhere big, somewhere with adventure. Her only regret was leaving behind her aunt, her makeshift family, her friends, and Hyde. She would miss Shauna, but the older woman made her promise to visit on a regular basis. Quill and Lizzie planned to move out to the city with her anyway. Quill wanted to try her chance as a dancer, and Lizzie was applying to NYU. She suspected that Tanya, Tony, and Mikey would follow in time. The loud midget knew, on the other hand, that the basement gang would be there until they died, sitting in the dingy room watching old reruns. As much as she loved them, she didn't want that kind of life. And then there was Hyde.

She hadn't talked to Hyde since their fight the day before. He didn't understand, he didn't get it. He didn't know how dancing had saved her, how it had saved her from a life stuck in this town acting like her mother. He didn't know how it given her a family, a group of paper who actually cared, who knew her fears and hopes and annoying quirk. Dancing gave her a purpose. It melted away the pain when she was upset. And yet Hyde had suggested not dancing as if it was an option or something she'd voluntarily do. Jackie wouldn't stop dancing unless someone surgically removed her legs.

Forgetting her musings, she pressed play on the cassette player and counted out the beats. Her body moved smoothly as if controlled by strings. For those few insignificant minutes, she was free. Free of expectations, and free of her life.

What Jackie didn't expect was to start to feel dizzy. She stopped twirling and tried to steady herself, but it didn't work. Things started to get fuzzy, and Jackie felt herself go limp. The last thing she could remember hearing was the sound of heels clicking on the floor nearby. Everything went black.

Quill, having heard a crash in the other, ran in only to discover her best friend lying there unconscious. Nothing was bleeding or broken, but she knew Jackie had to get to a hospital and fast. "Mikey! Tony! Get in here!" she shouted as loud as she could, her voice hoarse. She tried to angle Jackie's head on her lap. The normally light midget seemed so heavy all of the sudden.

The two boys rushed into the room and were startled by the sight they saw. Quill was holding an unconscious Jackie, tears streaming down her cheeks. Mikey felt himself doing a double take. What in the hell was going on? She turned to them. "Mikey, get your car," she instructed. He nodded but didn't move. "Now!" Mikey rushed out of the room, slightly scared for Jackie and of Quill's wrath. She looked at Tony. "Can you carry her?" she asked softly. Tony nodded.

The two friends walked out of the studio together, managing to avoid any curious dancers. Tony had agreed to stay back and make sure Lizzie and Tanya found out about the situation. He wasn't sure if he should tell Jackie's basement friends or not. On one hand, they deserved to know, but Jackie hadn't been too happy with any of them the day before.

Quill got in the car, her body slightly shaking. Before she could close her door, Tony grabbed her hand, squeezing it tight. He looked her straight in the eye. "Lia will be okay," he stated. Quill nodded, still in shock. Tony was a man of few words, and to have him say that to her meant a lot.

"Thank you," she whispered. Tony nodded, and Mikey took off. The jock let out a sigh. It was only one, and the day already sucked. But, maybe there was a bright side to all this. Maybe Jackie could get some help. Maybe…


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey! Sorry it took me so long to update. There is probably only one chapter of this story left plus the epilogue. Thanks for all the reviews! In this chapter, Jackie's in the hospital and her friends are worried. Will she be okay? Will the finale go on? Read on to find out! Disclaimer: I don't own That '70s Show, but I have been enjoying the first two seasons of the show I now own on DVD! **

Tony sat on the bench outside the studio, waiting for his ride to come pick him up. Usually Mikey drove all of them home, but since they'd had to take Jackie to the hospital that morning he'd called the Vortex to get a ride. He lit a cigarette and took a long drag. For someone who'd been a jock for the majority of his life, he smoked a lot. Tony liked smoking. It gave him something to do with his hands when he was nervous, something other than fidget them nervously. One of the good things about living in the Vortex was that you could always find someone with a pack of smokes. Artists and musicians leaned towards smoking as a recreational activity. It added to their mysterious, dangerous image. Not that Tony minded of course. He loved living in the Vortex. Then again, he couldn't think of anybody he knew who didn't.

The Vortex had saved him. Really, it had saved all of them. It had saved Jackie from the neglect of parents who didn't want her or give a crap. It gave her a family, one that cared and willing to help her. It had saved Tanya from a disapproving family, one that viewed her simply as an extension of their own beliefs. It gave her a place where she was loved for her mind and opinions and even respected for them. It had saved Lizzie from foster care, from a life of being put down and pushed around. It gave her a second chance and a whole new family to love. It has saved Mikey from the prejudice of his own family and the looks and mumbles he heard from them. It gave him a place where he could be himself, a place where he could flirt with a cute guy at a party and not get shit for it. It had saved Quill for paranoid parents who'd never been real parents and a life that she didn't want. It gave her a stable place and set of people she could count it. Tony knew it had saved him to. It had saved him from getting beat to death at the hand of his own father and given him a place where people didn't want to hurt him. It gave him a place where he was safe.

Tony was snapped out of his thoughts by the honking of a car. He looked up to see one of the new musicians from the Vortex waving at him. This guy was part of a punk band that was crashing at the Vortex while passing through Wisconsin on their way to New York City. Tony got in the car, and the guy started to drive. The band's album was blasting from the radio, causing people on the sidewalk to eye them suspiciously. Tony didn't care. It was a good album. He hoped that the band actually made it to New York.

Finally, they were back at the Vortex. Tony got out of the car, thanked the guy who he thought played bass, and ran into the old house. He took out his key, unlocked the door, and stepped inside. Since it was still relatively early in the day, there weren't many people there. Belinda and Wren were making out on the couch and didn't even notice Tony walk in. A guy was strumming his guitar in the corner while someone was painting a landscape by looking out the window. He found Lizzie doing homework at the kitchen table. Her eyes got wide when she spotted Tony.

"What happened?" she asked nervously, springing up from her seat. Lizzie knew that Tony was supposed to be at the studio with Mikey, Quill, and Jackie. She didn't see Mikey either, which meant that Tony had gotten a ride home from someone else. Which meant…

"Lia fainted. She's unconscious and…" he trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. He was so fed up with hospitals.

"Mikey and Quill sent you to make sure we all found out," Lizzie finished. She closed her books and looked at Tony. "I'm going to go walk up Tanya, and then you two can go to the hospital. I'll tell Lia's other friends."

Tony nodded, glad someone else had taken charge. "Thank you," he mumbled. Lizzie nodded and went to wake up Tanya. Not even five minutes later, the drowsy redhead and the blonde met Tony at the door. Having only been woken up a few minutes prior, Tanya was highly alert though very oddly dressed. She was wearing a pink tank top with a grey-hoodie over it and yellow-striped pajama pants. Purple flip-flops were on her feet, and her usually well-kept hair was thrown up in a sloppy bun. Tony would've laughed at the sight if it hadn't been an emergency.

They dropped Lizzie off first. The tiny blonde waved and walked towards the basement door, taking a deep breath. She opened the door and stepped inside only to find no one inside. Confused, she walked upstairs to the living room. Mr. and Mrs. Forman were snuggled up on the couch watching a movie. Mr. Forman immediately noticed her and sighed. "The dumbasses went to a movie," he informed Lizzie. "Hopefully they'll never come back."

"Red!" Mrs. Forman reprimanded, smacking her husband on the arm before turning to the little blonde girl Jackie had been bringing around the basement lately. The girl definitely needed some fattening up, she decided. Then again, so did Jackie. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

Lizzie felt her voice crack. "Jackie's in the hospital," she explained to the bewildered couple. "She collapsed during rehearsal today. I was supposed to come and tell you guys."

Suprisingly, it was Red who stood up first. "I'll go warm up the car. No dilly-dadaling!" he shouted. Kitty gave Lizzie a tight smile.

"Jackie's his favorite," she explained. Lizzie nodded in understanding. It was nice knowing Jackie had adults, people who could actually help her, looking out for her. Maybe they could save her... Maybe they could help her… Maybe… Lizzie let these thoughts roll around in her head as they drove to the hospital, completing forgetting the task she'd been given: make sure the basement gang knows. She didn't know it, but all hell would break loose in a few hours when the gang got back.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey! Thanks for all the reviews! So, in this chapter, Jackie wakes up and realizes some surprising things about herself and the people around her. Read on and enjoy! Disclaimer: I don't own That '70s Show. Hell, I wasn't even alive then!**

Jackie woke up in the hospital with a pounding headache and absolutely no idea where she was. The last thing she remembered was rehearsing at the studio. She'd been in the middle of a spin, and suddenly everything went back. She vaguely remembered Quill's panicked footsteps and a guy's solid arms carrying her, but she didn't remember anything else. The tiny brunette looked around the room. She was in a hospital. Shit. She was so screwed. Doctors were tricky to fool because they had tests and knowledge available to them that other people didn't. Her problems were now open for everyone she knows to dig and speculate.

The doctor stood outside her room talking to the Formans and her friends. She strained her ears to hear what was being said. "She's extremely thin," the doctor was saying. "I'm surprised she's even able to function."

"Lia takes speed," Tanya offered up. Jackie could've killed her.

"What?" Kitty stated in shock.

"For how long?" the doctor asked quietly.

"About a year," the redhead answered. "She was having a hard time keeping up with everything: dance, school, friends… We were at a party, and one of our friends introduced her to a guy. He's a dealer."

"Well, that explains some of the discrepancies in her charts," the doctor said. "We'll keep her overnight to make sure she didn't hit her head too hard, and then I'll recommend some treatment facilities."

Lizzie laughed humorlessly. "Lia's not gonna go for that," she stated quietly. "She doesn't think she has a problem."

"Then we'll make her go," Mikey argued. "Because frankly, I hate watching her waste away into nothing. We can't help her. Someone out there might be able to."

"But if we force her, it just might push her away," Quill pointed out. "Jackie trusts us. If we try to force her into something she doesn't want to do, we might lose her."

Finally, Tony spoke up. "I think we should go get Shauna. She'll be able to talk some sense into Jackie," he suggested. Everyone looked at him in shock. They had never even thought about it. He immediately went to go call Shauna. Mrs. Forman watched the group of teenagers with interest. They were so similar to Eric and his friends and yet so different. She could sense damage and a general mistrust of adults and the world, and the mother in her just wanted to reach out and hug them. It was obvious the group was close just by the way they were sitting. Tanya was sitting Indian style in her chair, Lizzie's head on her lap. Quill's head was on Tanya's shoulder, and her legs were on Mikey's lap. They looked so innocent in that moment she wished she had a camera. That was how they should like. Like happy, innocent teenagers. Like whole people. 

Less than five minutes later, Tony returned. "Shauna's on her way," he stated quietly, talking the seat in between Lizzie and Tanya. The group shifted their positioning ever so slightly.

A thought occurred to Kitty. "Why doesn't Jackie just move in with her aunt?" the mother hen asked curiously.

Quill smiled sadly at her. "Pam hates Shauna," she explained. "The last time Jackie asked her that, Pam threatened to disown her."

"That's awful!" Kitty shouted. No mother should treat their daughter like that. God knows if she had a daughter like Jackie, she'd cherish the girl.

Tanya smiled sardonically. "Pam's kind of an awful person," she added/

"And a whore," Lizzie piped in uncharacestically. The group just stared at her in shock. Lizzie never used language like that.

Quill began to fake cry. "Aw, Lizzie, you just swore. I'm so proud!" the girl joked. Everyone laughed. The moment, however, was interrupted by the frantic arrival of the basement gang. Hyde's eyes were blazing with anger.

"Where is she?" he demanded.

"We can't go see her yet," Mrs. Forman explained.

"Why not?" Hyde shouted.

"Because we can't, dumbass!" Red snarled, finally speaking up. Why did Jackie have to be in the hospital? Why couldn't it be one of the other dumbasses? He liked Jackie. She could hold a flashlight.

"The doctors are still running tests," Kitty added gently. "And they need her aunt to sign some forms."

"Where is Jackie's aunt?" Donna pressed, worried for her friend.

"I'm right here," a voice answered from behind. Everyone turned around to see what could very well be a grownup version of Jackie. Her arm was still in a cast from the accident, and there were stiches by her hairline, but she still looked stunning. Except for the eyes, the niece and aunt were carbon copies. All the dancers sighed in relief. Shauna was here. Jackie would be okay. Everyone just looked at her in fascination.

"You must be Lia's boyfriend," she stated. "Nice to meet you. I'm going to have a conversation with my niece. I'll be back in a minute." And with that, she left the basement gang speechless. Well, this certainly explained something about Jackie. All the women in her family must be forces to be reckoned with. 

Shauna walked into her niece's hospital room not knowing what to expect. How bad would Jackie look up close, without all the smokescreens and illusions. To her, Jackie would never be this grown women laying in a metal. In her mind, Jackie would always be that little girl that danced and twirled around her house. The little girl that sang along to music that wasn't playing, the little girl who cried when she found a butterfly whose wing had been damaged. Shauna remembered Jackie taking the dead butterfly, putting it in a box, and holding a funeral. She had invited her parents and Shauna, but only Shauna went.

Shauna was snapped out of her memories when Jackie woke up. "Aunt Shauna? Is that you?" she asked groggily. Shauna smiled weakly.

"Hey kiddo," she greeted. "What's a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this?"

Jackie looked down at her hands. She felt ashamed. She felt like all the thoughts, all the emotions she'd had up until now were stupid. Nothing made sense anymore. "I don't know," she whispered. "I don't know anymore."

Shauna nodded, understanding what her niece meant. "Do you want to get better?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know," Jackie answered. "I just want to dance. That's all I want to do. I want to dance and laugh and be happy and cry occasionally. I don't want life to be so hard."

Shauna sat down on Jackie's bed right next to her. She smoothed down the girl's hair gently. "Well, I wish I could tell you life will get easier, but it won't. Life's hard."

"I know," Jackie nodded. In a smaller voice, she added, "I don't want to be like her."

Shauna felt so stupid for not seeing this before, not seeing her niece's burden that she carried so blatantly before. She cupped Jackie's chin in her fingers. "You are nothing like your mother," she stated firmly. "Nothing. She made her choices, and you'll make yours."

"I'm scared," Jackie admitted for the first time in a while. "I'm scared."

"It's okay to be scared," Shauna comforted. "But you have people who love you, people who are willing to fight for you and with you. You're a wonderful, kind, beautiful young woman, and I will always be proud of you."

Jackie nodded, soaking up her aunt's word. Even more so, she started to believe them. It was like something shifted and cracked inside her. She would be okay. She would be strong. She would be happy. And with that, she looked at her aunt and said, "I think I need help." And Shauna smiled, knowing that she had made her point. The two sat together for a little while longer, reassured by the fact that everything would be okay. They would be okay.


	16. AN

**Hey! So I'm sure you are all dying to know how this story ends, but the truth is I'm not sure what turn Jackie's story would take for her. I like to think she would've gotten the help she needed and continued dancing, but life's never that easy. Life is hard, and the problems Jackie has are hard to overcome. What I wanted to end this story on is hope, and that's why this is just my author's note thanking you guys for reading. Thanks for all the reviews and support on this story. Special shout-outs to my regular reviewers: Ace5492, Bratalia, OXannaOX, BeyondxXxBirthday, coolio1206, and**

**Vaneesa85. You guys rock! And of course, thank you to all of you who reviewed anonymously or just chose to read. Please let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!**


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